What you’ll need

For the garland

Oranges*
Twine or string

Utensils

Sharp knife
Paper towel
Baking paper
Baking trays
Cooling racks
Needle with a large eye (yarn needles are great)
Scissors

Method

Before SpikeHour

1. Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius. Slice oranges into rounds that are roughly half a centimetre thick.
2. Once you’ve sliced your orange, pat each slice dry with paper towel and arrange on a lined baking tray.
3. Bake your slices for three hours, flipping each hour to make sure they bake evenly. Once the edges are slightly browned, remove from oven and place on cooling racks. Set aside and allow the slices to dry completely for 2–3 days.

During SpikeHour

1. When your orange slices are dry, thread your needle with twine and begin stringing the slices on. Make sure you make a complete stitch through the orange slices: take the needle in one side of the flesh and out the opposite side. (We recommend horizontal stitches – in on the left and out on the right side of the flesh.) This ensures that the slices hang neatly on the twine/string.
2. Once you’ve got the length of garland you need, snip the twine/string and tie a knot in each end to prevent slices from slipping off. Leave enough string on either end to tie to your banister, around your Christmas tree or to affix to other garlands (for example pine or spruce).
3. Repeat the above to make as many garlands as you’d like!
4. To add an extra touch of festive joy, consider adding in some pieces of spruce or weaving some twinkle lights around your finished garland.

Note: Five orange slices will give you roughly 50cm of garland depending on how far apart you space them.

Want to get rewarded for saving energy?

Spike is our energy-saving rewards program. During periods of peak demand on the energy grid, we run regular SpikeHours where Spike members are encouraged to reduce their energy use and meet personalised energy-saving targets.

Spike members that successfully reduce their energy use and meet their forecasts during SpikeHours are rewarded with Watts which can be redeemed for PayPal Cash or gift cards. SpikeHours are also a great time to take up hobbies or simply bring out the arts and crafts. With dedicated hours set aside weekly to switch off devices – AKA distractions – it’s the perfect opportunity to save energy and try something new. 

The post How to make a dried orange garland appeared first on The Origin Blog.

What is Spike?

Spike is our energy-saving rewards program. During periods of peak demand on the energy grid, we run regular SpikeHours where Spike members are encouraged to reduce their energy use and meet personalised energy-saving targets.

Spike members that successfully reduce their energy use and meet their forecasts during Spike Hours are rewarded with SpikePoints which can be redeemed for PayPal Cash or gift cards.

SpikeHours are also a great time to take up hobbies or simply bring out the arts and crafts. With dedicated hours set aside weekly to switch off devices – AKA distractions – SpikeHours present the perfect opportunity to save energy and try something new. 

You’ve heard of paint and sip, how about paint and save?

Being crafty doesn’t have to be confined to photo collages from magazines or helping the kids with paper mache. Simple things like giving your old indoor pot plant a makeover or even adding a homey touch to your entryway can be small but fun ways to refresh the home and keep your energy use low during SpikeHours. So, next time the call goes out to reduce energy and help the grid, consider adding a fresh lick of paint here and a personal touch there! 

Not sure where to start? Why not download a YouTube tutorial like this one and start creating the next piece for your home.

Take a walk down memory lane

It’s no question the physical photo albums many of us had growing up have quickly been replaced by Instagram and thousands of photos hoarded on your smartphone. But while times have changed, the thoughtfulness behind photo albums remains the same. And, in the spirit of the 90s being back in vogue (cue butterfly hair clips), we figure it’s time to bring them back!

Perhaps it’s a photo wall of polaroids decorated with some energy-efficient battery-powered fairy lights, or a mini photo album as a gift to a special person of all the fun times you had together. Either way, creating physical copies of your favourite memories in a gift form or just for yourself, is a great way to spend SpikeHours and reminisce along the way.

Time for a yarn

With temperatures dropping, energy-savvy ways for fighting off the chill are top of mind. Thankfully, we’ve got just the thing to make the most of your SpikeHours and provide that extra layer of warmth; knitting!

Knitting can be wrongly dismissed as daggy or something your grandma used to do, but we assure you, it’s quite the opposite. A perfect winter hobby, knitting has quickly become popular once more thanks to vintage trends. Think oversized sweaters, large woven blankets for cuddling up in, or cute knitted creatures for kids, the list – and yarn – is endless. Better yet, pop on a playlist and get your friends, family or housemates involved and host a knitting night-in.

What’s your vision?

Arts and craft activities such as vision boards are a great way to make the most of time off devices by manifesting and visualising goals you hope to accomplish. Simply cut out, print off or glue on images or text to a blank canvas that helps motivate you to work towards your goal.

Not sure where to start? The sky’s the limit with a good vision board. Perhaps it’s putting together your 6-12 month plan, visualising what that next promotion looks like, or stepping out your savings goals to book your dream holiday. For inspo to get your creative juices flowing, check out this vision board tutorial.

Want to get involved?

Find out how you can start getting rewarded for saving energy today!

The post Crafty ways to spend SpikeHours appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Remind me, what’s SpikeHour?

Spike’s our energy-saving rewards program. With Spike, you get points for hitting your energy-saving goals (forecasts) during peak times (SpikeHours). You can then redeem your SpikePoints for PayPal cash and gift cards – which you could spend on summer entertaining goodies like punch bowls and fancy champagne flutes. Or maybe you could upgrade your BBQ gear. Whatever’s on your wish list, you’ll be saving money on your energy bills and treating yourself to enticing goodies this summer.

How to make a grazing board

1. Start with the hero

Where to begin? With the star of the platter, of course – cheese!

When it comes to cheese, it’s best to opt for a mixture of textures with at least one soft and one hard cheese. There are endless options and combinations, but Brie, Camembert and Fromager d’Affinois are our go-tos when it comes to soft cheese. Gouda, aged cheddar and Gruyère are always a hit down the hard end of the spectrum.

If you’re adventurous, consider throwing a blue cheese like English Stilton or gorgonzola into the mix.

2. Add your meats

Once you’ve settled on your cheeses and placed them on the board, it’s time to add in some mouth-watering selections from the deli.

Salami, prosciutto and mortadella are staples on charcuterie boards for a reason, so if in doubt these are great to add to your platter. If you feel like venturing outside the usual fare, try pâté, terrine or plant-based deli meats.

3. Take a dip (or two)

So, you’ve got the meats down – now it’s onto a favourite, dip!

There are too many dips to list, but crowd pleasers include humble Hummus, Greek Tzatziki, spicy capsicum and blue cheese dip with fig and pistachios! It’s great to include a fresh option as well as a luscious creamy dip to help cater to a wide range of tastes.

4. Pepper in some produce

Now it’s time to showcase some produce by adding in some vegetables, fruits and pickled items. Pickled produce like baby cucumbers, onions and bell peppers help add zing to the board, while additions like grilled eggplant and artichokes add a hint of sophistication. Family favourites are sundried or semi-dried tomatoes, stuffed bell peppers and olives.

Finish off this section by showcasing some fruit like fresh figs, dried apricots, grapes, kiwi fruit or fresh berries. When it comes to produce, the supermarket aisles can provide a surprising amount of inspiration!

5. Crunch time

Texture is everything, visually and taste-wise – crunch adds body to your board.

Start with a staple – crackers! There are loads of options from water thins, wafer crackers and lavosh to breadsticks and crostini. Once you’ve got the ‘base’ sorted, get creative. Add in elements like pistachios, macadamias, peanuts or pretzels.

Bring it all together with some freshness by adding carrot and cucumber sticks.

Love carbs? Consider adding some denser options like slices of olive loaf, baguette or other artisan breads. This is a great way to bulk out the board and keep your guests fuller for longer.

6. Sugar, yes please!

Most people love a little something sweet after a savoury bite, so to keep the sweet tooths satisfied add a sprinkle of delectable treats.

Suggestions include chocolate-covered pretzels, bite-sized chocolates like Freddo frogs and Ferrero Rochers, slabs of nougat, truffles, musk sticks, chocolate-covered coffee beans, macarons and choc-dipped strawberries. Stroll down the supermarket candy aisle with an open mind and you’ll find plenty of options.

7. Finishing touches

You’re almost done, it’s time to add some final touches to elevate your platter.

Finish off your creation by sprinkling on some edible flowers, sprigs of rosemary or thyme, broccolini flowers or even some native gum leaves.

Want to earn rewards for switching off?

Join our energy saving rewards program Spike! It’s free, fun and a great way to adopt new energy-saving habits.

The post Use SpikeHour to up your grazing board game appeared first on The Origin Blog.

Renovation tips proudly brought to you by the team at channel 7 and House Rules

Before you think about jumping into the deep end of home reno’s, we chatted with Aimee and Kayne from Channel 7’s House Rules for some renovation tips to get you started.

From choosing the right furniture, to perfecting the layout of your rooms, the DIY duo share seven tried-and-tested tips.

Aimee and Kayne’s renovation tips

1. Get to know your space

Before buying any furniture for your home, mark it out on the ground with tape and get the feel for the size and space. Can you walk around the table easily? Is it too small for the space? Is it going to encroach on another area of your house (or in our case, another team’s zone, then all hell would break loose).

2. Consider your options

Next time you’re planning the layout of your next space, don’t be afraid to think outside the box with where you’re putting things. We drew up different layouts before finding the perfect one.

3. Replace or add tiles

Try to stick to 2 or, at a maximum, 3 tiles in a space. Feature tiles can look quite nice inside your shower niche if you decided a whole wall in a crazy tile is a bit out there for you. 

4. Change the mood

We had a lot of black, white & grey in our bathroom, which gave a quite masculine feel. If you want to add softness to a bathroom with lots of blacks & whites, try installing a timber vanity or placing a timber shower seat in the shower which brings the whole room together.

5. Play around with colour

If you don’t want too much colour in the room, use a block colour on the sheet set and have it draping out under the doona cover.

6. Inject some personality

Don’t be afraid to have a bit of fun with spaces like a study. After you have functionality right, add in elements which are going to make you enjoy coming into the room. Personally, my favourite things to put in a study are:

• Motivational quotes
• Candles
• Plants.

7. Style your shelves

When you’re styling shelving make sure you work on your diagonals. If you have a plant on one shelf, don’t put another plant directly under it, put it diagonal to the other. The same goes with books, candles and ornaments. Don’t have everything straight and inline either. The rule to styling is always cluster things in groups of 3’s, adding different sizes, shapes & textures.

The post House rules for renovations appeared first on The Origin Blog.